Oh.What.Fun. is an ode to moms — the unsung heroes who make Christmas happen. The film speaks to those of us missing our moms during the Christmas season. It also suggests maybe — just maybe — Mom would enjoy new traditions, like leaving home for the holidays to get out of the kitchen and play with family. Some of our favorite Christmas memories weren’t in boxes under the tree. They were memories made Christmas Eve in Hyde Park, Christmas Day at Westminster Abbey, and Boxing Day around town in London. Since my son moved to Colorado, I’ve fallen in love with Denver, a magical place closer to home. Since the 1920s, Denver has been called the “Christmas Capital of the World.” Day trips in the surrounding mountain towns feel like you’re in a Hallmark movie. After nine trips to the Mile High City, my Bucket List of where to eat, drink, and be merry is still a mile-long. It’s not too late to catch some of this year’s events or ring in the new year in Denver. Or… while the family is gathered together… begin making plans to do Colorado next Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Christkindlmarket and Drone Show
Christkindlmarket is Denver’s premier German-style Christmas market. This year, the event moved to its new location on The Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus. The 4-acre park gave us more space to roam and more sky to see 600 drones light up the night. The market is open Novmeber 21 to December 23, Monday – Thursday 1 PM – 9 PM, Friday – Sunday 11 AM – 9 PM. Entrance is free, and accessible parking is available.
Christkinklmarket is a trip around the world with food, drink, and gifts from Colorado, Germany, Austria, Poland, Scotland, Belgium, France, Ecuador, Peru, and more. As a souvenir, make a tree ornament in the glass-blowing workshop or take home the mug or stein after sipping on Glühwein, Bavarian-style Biers, European coffee, or hot cocoa. We went during the day to shop and eat lunch with no crowds, then returned at night for the lights and drone show.
The drone shows run nightly at 7 PM from November 21 – December 31. If you’d rather see the drones from inside, Peak’s Lounge on the 27th floor of the Hyatt Regency is a cozy front row seat. Try the Raclette, a traditional German holiday dish, there or at the Christkindlmarket, .
Festive Bars
I love a Christmas cocktail and fun Instagram backdrop in a pretty, pop-up. If you don’t drink, order a Coke (like my son does) or a mocktail. After researching SO MANY options — thanks @denverfoodscene and @emilyyyybutchtell — I made my list. We popped in a couple of places on a Friday afternoon before the weekend crowds. I’m saving the rest for next year.
Wonderyard Gardens
Fun Food Tours
Full Disclosure: I’ve been a Viator Partner for a decade because when I wanted a Jack the Ripper tour in London, an Electric Bike tour in Boulder, or a Cocktails Tour in Denver, Viator delivered. In partnership with local providers, the Tripadvisor brand offers over 300,000 experiences worldwide. A tour with a local is the best way to get acquainted with a new city, get insider tips, and meet new friends. Viator tours are especially great for solo travelers or when your son (or whoever you’re traveling with) has to work, and you want to explore on your own.
Thanks to Barry, our guide on the downtown Denver Cocktails Tour, I met a fun family from Littleton, Colorado, and learned more about Denver’s history and food scene. We met in Union Station and climbed to the mezzanine, where he described The Cooper Lounge as a first-class, vintage experience (as in silver trays and service fit for the Orient Express). Now it tops my Next Time list.
We had a front row seat in the Tavernatta kitchen, which Barry says cooks the best steak in town. Tavernatta is part of the Frasca Hospitality Group, known for multiple James Beard Awards. Two more members of their family not to be missed are Sunday Vinyl and Tavernatta Vail where you can get an Aperol Spritz from an Italian-inspired secret window. Denver has its secrets, too. I learned the haunted history of the Oxford Hotel and that the Cruise Room was an inspiration for Stephen King’s book, The Shining.
Barry gave us tips on the speakeasy, Run for the Roses, at the Dairy Block, and where to get deals around town. A Kentucky-born Tennessee girl, I especially enjoyed the Butter Pecan Old Fashioned at Urban Farmer (made with Bulleit 95 Rye) and the BBQ slider at Poka Loka in the Maven Hotel. DELICIOUS.
Where Locals Chill
I love wandering my son’s quiet neighborhood when he’s working. Local ladies are all about Babe’s Tea Room. Make reservations with the girls or order online and take out tea and cucumber sandwiches (what I do). Around the corner I wandered into another Christmas market with handmade goods.I’m also a fan of Proto Pizza (known for having Denver’s “Best Pizza” and “Best Cannoli”) and Maria’s Empanadas, also on Platte Street.
Botanical Gardens and Road Trip
This visit, we finally made it to the Botanical Gardens. Sadly, night reservations were full, so we didn’t see the holiday lights, but we had fun having the place to ourselves. And, of course, no visit to Denver is complete without a drive through the mountains.
Thanks, Cole!
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